Every cannabis business needs their services and, or products to be top notch, that is a given in any industry. All too often though businesses think this is the end all be all of their success, in actuality this is only half the battle. The other half of the battle is branding – looking the part, presenting your chosen business image to the public. Businesses need a strong brand to compete in any industry, especially the new and burgeoning legal cannabis industry.

Cheetah Running Shoes

Rosarios Logo

Strain Microbranding Poster

Hard Extracts Containers

What is Branding?

The legal cannabis industry is very young and competitive with many businesses selling the same or similar products. How does a business set themselves apart from the competition? The quality of the products or services they offer and their brand, both being equally important to continued success. Why would a customer pick your strains over the competitors, what sets your Northern Lights apart from another company’s Northern Lights? All things being equal what sets businesses apart is a strong brand. Not an OK brand, or half decent brand, a strong brand is essential.

Why is Branding so Important?

Many businesses neglect spending the necessary time to think about their brand in this broad sense and the impact it has on their business. It’s nice to have a nephew who can “photoshop” a halfway decent logo for your company, but not a very good idea. Branding is more than just a logo, it’s your whole image from the start. Too many companies treat their brand as an afterthought when in fact it is very likely to be the most important aspect of any business. Your brand is the face you present to every single potential customer and peer you will ever encounter. Having a good product is not enough.

The most important aspect of your brand is your logo. For example, the whole globe instantly recognizes the Nike “Swoosh” or the simple, but powerful stripes of Adidas. As the literal face of a business, logo design is critical because that graphic will be on every piece of product, correspondence, and advertising. A truly professional logo has to be simple enough to be memorable, but also powerful enough to get the desired effect for your business.

Graphic design is also very important aspect of a company’s brand. The logo and your brand in general needs to be flexible and also create a cohesiveness across different mediums. Graphic design as a branding tool literally creates the context of your whole brand and helps you tie everything together, from product packaging to your marketing materials and website to name a few different aspects of your brand.

PRODUCT BRANDING & PACKAGING

The legal marijuana business presents many challenges when it comes to product packaging. HYC loves a good challenge, every challenge is an opportunity to create something original and unique in a young and oftentimes maligned industry. Our designers have been in the general product packaging industry for over 20 years, and about half that time in the cannabis market. The marijuana industry screams innovation, and innovation leads to strong brands, strong brands lead to successful businesses.

The goal is to sell more product and obtain more customers, while at the same time separate you from the competition of a saturated market. How many competitors sell the same strains? A strong brand which includes packaging can drive your products out the door while leaving your competition’s on the shelf. Product packaging is vital in creating a strong brand in a young industry.

WEB DESIGN & SOCIAL MEDIA

Your website and social media presence is also part of a strong and cohesive brand. Often times different companies are needed to provide the more artistic aspects of a brand and the more technical aspects of a brand, for example, a website. This can create some issues that can limit the aesthetics and also the function of a brand and all its components. Higher Yields Consulting employs professionals who are familiar with aesthetic design and web development and design, our developers are multi-talented and able to plan and coordinate a brand much more effectively and efficiently in a real world meets the digital world arena.

Social media is a must in 2017. Higher Yields Consulting can also help your company and it’s brand across a plethora of social media platforms, from Facebook, to Twitter, to LinkedIn and many more popular platforms.

Why Choose Higher Yields Consulting?

Members of our design and marketing team have worked with some of the largest marijuana enterprises in the United States, analyzing over 1,000 different products. Help your businesses understand where money is best spent through utilization of our services.

Improves Recognition

One of major components of your brand is your logo. Think of how we instantly recognize the golden arches of McDonalds or the simple, but powerful eagle of the USPS.

Creating Trust

A professional appearance builds credibility and trust. People are more likely to purchase from a business that appears polished and legitimate. Emotional reactions are hardwired into our brains, and those reactions are very real influencers.

Helps Support Advertising

Advertising is another component of your brand. Both the medium chosen and the demographic targeted for advertisements builds a brand. Too narrow an advertising focus, and a company risks being “pigeon-holed” and losing their ability to expand into new markets.

Builds Financial Value

Companies who publicly trade on a stock exchange are valued at many times the actual hard assets of the company. Much of this value is due to the branding of the company.

Improves Employee Focus

Many employees need more than just work— they need something to work toward. When employees understand your mission and reason for being, they are more likely to feel that same pride and work in the same direction to achieve the goals you have set.

Generates New Customers

Branding enables your company to get referral business. Would it be possible for you to tell a friend about the new shoes you love if you couldn’t remember the brand? A large reason ‘brand’ is the word used for this concept is that the goal is an indelible impression.